


Her Eyes Were Stardust

by Winterkissed_Jasmine



Category: RWBY
Genre: (Ish) - Freeform, Other, Set before season 3, Slow Burn, Teacher-Student Relationship, whoops trashcan alert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-16
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-08-09 05:44:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7788955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winterkissed_Jasmine/pseuds/Winterkissed_Jasmine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>And his soul held the world. </p><p>---</p><p>¯\_(ツ)_/¯</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Terror coated her tongue as the metal arm slammed into her stomach, throwing her back. She hit the train-car with a painful gasp, breath escaping her lungs. In every nightmare this happened, as her body refused to move, forcing her watch the scene. And unlike real life, they had no Oobleck to save them. The Paladin whirled, as Weiss and Blake tried to dart past them, and the rocket fired from its guns was enough to send them flying off the edge of the train. The scream building up in her throat refused to break free, pressing against her lungs, aching, ready to shatter everything Ruby had._

_She was aware of every moment as they drew closer to the impending wall, some part of her already knowing what was happening, of what would happen if they didn't_ stop  _the train-car. Tears blurred her vision, realizing her failure as the front of the train was only a few seconds away from the wall. Her heart echoed from her chest in the tunnel around her._

**_Thump._ **

_Yang roared, her eyes flickering scarlet, and flung herself at the Paladin before Ruby could cry out._

**_Thump._ **

_Fire flaming out behind her, a dragon's fiery mane, burning, burning,_ burning. 

_**Thump.** _

_The Paladin reacted swiftly, grabbing Yang's arm, her legs, and_ **_tearing._ **

**_Thump_ **

_The train reached the wall, and Ruby was aware of the blood spraying on her cheeks, off the roar as it slammed into the stone wall, of Yang's lifeless-_

The scream that was trapped in her chest came out as a ragged gasp as Ruby jerked awake, bed swinging a tad wildly, creaking with each swing.. Her heart thundered in her chest, and for a brief moment, a brief second of panic, Ruby was sure the wetness on her cheek was Yang's blood-  _No._ It was her own tears, coming out in silent sobs. 

Weiss snarled from beneath her. "Ruby, quit swinging the bed," Ruby said nothing as the bed slowed to a stop, though the tears still ran. She waited until Weiss' breath evened out before using her semblance to dart from her bed to the door, closing it silently behind her before anyone else could wake up. 

The chilled air was nice on her damp cheeks as she slipped out of the dorms, and the silence was even more reassuring. No screams, no blood, no pain. The quietness met the ache in her soul, soothed it, cradled it as she padded quietly across the court-yard. In the distance, she could see the towering ships of Atlas, hovering like a specter against the moon. And even farther, she could see the mountains, the cities glowing like fireflies in the night air. 

As she drew near the fountain, part of her wished that she had at least grabbed a coat from her room before leaving, as her thin tank-top and bottoms weren't doing much against the frosted air. She curled up on the edge of the fountain, tucking her knees against her chest, and peered down at the water. A thin layer of ice had converged over the water, and with gentle fingers, she prodded it until it cracked and water spilled to the top, the cold biting her fingertips. 

The nightmares had chased her from her sleep every night since that battle, each word resonating through her soul when she woke up, gasping. _Failure. Failure. Failure._ She hadn't told her teammates, knowing that their first words would be denying that she had messed up, that they hadn't been able to stop the train from slamming into Vale. But Ruby knew that it was her fault, that if she was a better team leader, then that wouldn't have happened, and those people wouldn't have gotten hurt. 

 The thought brought a fresh wave of regret and anguish, and she pressed her forehead against her knee, wrapping her arms around her legs. Maybe Weiss had been right, those first few weeks of school, maybe if Weiss had been the leader, she would've been able to complete their task, and prevent the train from crashing into Vale. Maybe Ruby was just a crappy leader, and maybe she didn't even deserve this role.

"Ms.Rose?" Her heart skipped slightly in her chest, and she jerked up, and found Headmaster Ozpin peering down at her, dark eyes concerned. For a brief moment, he took in her appearance, the wetness on her cheeks, and new tears glimmering in her silver eyes, and Ruby flushed slightly at his appraisal, realizing just how unkempt she looked.

"Are you okay?" Ozpin said finally, smoothly sitting down beside her. She inched back slightly, more ashamed at being caught crying in the courtyard than anything.

"I-I'm fine," She whispered, knowing how see-through the lie was, and how broken and hollow her own voice was.

He studied her, and Ruby couldn't help but drop her eyes. The Headmaster was intense, the quiet, silent type that radiated power, and she found that she couldn't hold his gaze without feeling like she was confronting something dangerous. The intensity in his dark eyes was enough to send her retreating, and she couldn't imagine someone trying to confront him. 

"I'm sorry," She whispered, and moved to stand. "I just got - emotional, and tired, and I should be going now. I'm sorry for bothering you, I didn't mean to break any rules-" Ruby was babbling, the words rushing out, as she turned and started to walking away. 

She froze when his voice curled through the air, tugging her into stopping. "I occasionally have nightmares as well, Ms.Rose," He said, his voice gentle.

Ruby wrapped her arms around her waist, but didn't turn around. "How did you know?"

He chuckled, and she glanced back toward him. His silver hair glinted in the moonlight, and yet he appeared to be in his mid-twenties. "I, too, come to this fountain when I'm roused from my sleep. The academy is peaceful at night, isn't it?" 

After a moment, Ruby nodded, once again approaching the fountain edge and sat beside him. "I like it when it's quiet, and there's no shouting." Her voice was quiet, and Ozpin rested a hand on her shoulder. He could feel her muscles jump beneath her skin at the unexpectedness, but relaxed against his palm. 

In his way of somehow knowing Ruby's thoughts, he spoke softly. "The battle on the train was a terrible incident, Ms. Rose, but it wasn't your fault." Ruby was already shaking her head, her heart clenching.

"If I had done something different... or been a better leader, then-" 

"Yes, but you didn't." She flinched, and he continued. "You will make mistakes, you will sometimes fail. As a Hunteress, that will be something that happens often, whether it's not being able to kill the Grimm, or failing to protect a town." 

His thumb rubbed gentle circles in her shoulder as Ruby pressed her face against her hands. "I told you once before, that I have made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet. It eats me away each day."

"How do you stop it?" She whispered through her fingers, voice threaded with unleashed tears. She was shivering, Ozpin realized, most likely from the chilly air or perhaps from the pain within, but he still slid his top jacket off, wrapping it around her shoulders. 

"You keep fighting. You turn that pain into the fire that burns and that lets you protect the innocent. As a leader, you have a great responsibility that you must shoulder every day, and you must accept that your choices might hurt some people, but it's a choice you must make." 

Ruby fell silent, chewing the words over, as Ozpin gave her a final squeeze and stood, his shadow bleeding into her own. "Understand that no matter what, you protected those people in Vale, and you won the eventual battle."

She nodded, and looked up, the tears making her silver eyes shine like the moons above. "Thank you." She whispered, and he studied her a bit closer. She was still broken, in some places, pain still lacing the silvery threads of her gaze, but he could also see the guiltiness fading - slightly. Ruby didn't move from her spot, and Ozpin turned to leave, before pausing.

"And Ms.Rose? If you ever need to speak to someone, my doors are always open." He waited until she gave a small nod, before walking toward the tower. 

After he was but a shadowy figure in the distance, Ruby rose as well, still silently tearing over the words he gave her, padding toward her dorm room in near silence. It wasn't until she flitted to her bed, carefully stilling it to prevent it from swaying, that she still had Ozpin's jacket wrapped around her. After hesitating, she pulled the blankets up over her and the blankets, curling until the smell of coffee and earth allowed her to drift to sleep. 


	2. Chapter 2

Ruby drummed her fingers lightly against her thigh, her eyes trailing on the professor, though her mind was completely elsewhere. She had woken up that morning, believing that the whole night previous had been just some silly dream she had thought up, until she saw the dark jacket tangled in her bedsheets. She wasn't sure what was worse, the feeling of mortification at realizing she had curled up in her Headmaster's  _jacket_ or the fact that he had caught her when she had been so... weak. 

The thought that her Headmaster saw that didn't sit well inside, and she cast her eyes down, pressing her nails into the skin of her knee. She had been so immature, crying in the middle of the court-yard. Her classmates didn't do that, or if they did, they did it in private, where no one - especially not their headmaster - could stumble upon them.

Weiss elbowed her sharply in the side, sighing through her nose. "Did you pay  _any_ attention to that lesson?" With a blink, Ruby realized that their class had already ended, and everyone else was standing, chatting as they headed toward their next class.

Ruby gave a weak smile to Weiss, who shook her head slightly, ivory locks falling delicately around her shoulders. "C'mon, let's get to our next class." She turned without waiting for an answer, and after a brief moment, Ruby stood and followed, pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind as she tried to focus. She couldn't help but think about how she still smelled slightly like coffee.

\---

Ozpin and Glynda stood side-by-side, watching through the upper windows of his school as his students spilled out into the courtyard, grinning at each other as the chilly air hit their faces. Glynda peered down at her scroll, fingers flitting across the digital pad, humming softly to herself as she worked, while Ozpin sipped coffee, his eyes tracking the students. They stood in a companionable silence, nothing but the sound of doors slamming and laughter beneath them. 

Glynda broke the silence first, her elbow brushing against his as she shifted. "Ironwood and the rest of the Kingdoms have confirmed that the Vytal Festival will be held in Vale." Ozpin nodded, taking another drink before answering.

"The Amity Coliseum must be on its way, then." 

"Should appear in the next week or so." 

"And Qrow?"

Glynda made a small noise in her throat, and Ozpin glanced at her, dark eyes glimmering slightly with amusement.

"Also scheduled to arrive during the Festival. Conveniently, the same time as Ironwood and Winter."

Ozpin let out a low chuckle, and rested a palm briefly on Glynda's shoulder. She glanced at him, smiled slightly, glanced briefly at her scroll, before taking a double-take. Surprise flashed in her gaze.

"You aren't wearing your jacket today." 

He blinked, just as surprised, before realizing where it must be. He let out a short hum. "Must've forgotten it." He answered, and Glynda gave him a skeptical look before her eyes were dragged back toward her scroll.

His own eyes flicked toward the mass of students within the court-yard, and almost as if they were drawn, his gaze locked on the flash of red as bright as blood fluttering in the drab sky. Ruby Rose followed her team a few paces behind, dark hair fluttering in the wind. As if she could feel his eyes, her head turned, scanning behind her, and he couldn't help but think that she looked pale, and skinny, as if she weren't eating. 

She frowned, eyes still scanning, before her sister wrapped a playful arm around her shoulder, swinging her back to her teammates. They paused in the court-yard, chatting, before the three split away, heading one way, while Ruby turned on her heel and headed toward the left wing of the academy. 

Glynda glanced up, following his gaze as it tracked the young student, and gave a soft hum. "It's odd that Ms.Rose has chosen to have separate classes from her team, isn't it?" 

Ozpin glanced at her curiously, and she clarified. "After the battle, she requested to switch out of her Weapons Management class with the rest of her team into Self-Defense 101." The Hunteress gave a mild shrug. "Not that it's unheard of, but usually team's always have the same schedule." He hadn't even known she had requested a switch.

"Ah, I have a teacher meeting to get to." She lightly touched Ozpin's arm, and he nodded, dismissing her and saying good-bye all at once. 

\---

Ruby slipped through the crowd of students, until she saw two familiar faces. She sped up slightly, calling out. "Pyrrha! Jaune!" They turned in unison, and Jaune grinned at her, ruffling her hair when she got closer. Pyrrha smiled, and they fell into a line as they made their way across the school.

Both Pyrrha and Jaune were also in Self Defense, though Ruby suspected Pyrrha only signed up because she didn't want Jaune to feel out of place. The class was something they normally taught in primary combat school. Jaune had told her, a few weeks before the battle, of his faked transcripts, so the extra lessons were necessary if he ever wanted to continue on. At Signal, Ruby was supposed to have taken self-defense, but had opted out, instead using that time to learn from Qrow on how to handle a scythe. It was something that Ruby had never regretted until she realized how useless she was without Crescent. 

Even now, she felt almost naked with Crescent, her hand constantly drifting toward her spine, where the comforting part of her soul usually pressed against her back. 

She raked a hand through her hair, slowing as they neared their classroom. Some part of her dreaded this class; Ruby had been taking it for the last couple of weeks, and she still wasn't able to defend herself against some bigger than her, or with more muscle. Her only relief was that Jaune didn't seem to be picking anything up either, much to Pyrrha's frustration. The rest of the class was already in motion, going through their movements. 

"Pyrrha," Ruby said abruptly, breaking through her and Jaune's conversation. "Will you train with me today?" 

The other girl looked slightly surprised, but gave a gracious smile and nodded. "Of course, Ruby." She glanced at Jaune, who grinned back.

"I'll just train with the teacher today," He turned, slipping through the crowd, and leaving Ruby and Pyrrha alone. 

The two girls turned toward each other. Pyrrha shifted smoothly into a crouch, hands up defensively, and Ruby followed.

Neither of them noticed the man hovering on the balcony above them.


End file.
